Melt
by Ashia Yifei 07
Summary: They're as frigid as ice;it's about who melts first.


**AoGA's influence + boredom = Unexpected romance ( if there's any) between Hotaru and Natsume. Would you mind reading it? I hope.**

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><p>They were both chunks of frigid ice that no degree of temperature could ever melt them down. So they belonged together, or so they thought. Anyway, they only forced themselves to be together because they wanted to achieve something highly improbable.<p>

Natsume Hyuuga wanted Mikan Sakura all for himself; Hotaru Imai wanted Ruka Nogi all for herself. But Mikan and Ruka were already in a mutual relationship. However, this mutualism never stopped the fire of persistence entrenched in the characters of Hotaru and Natsume.

Even if it was known to Natsume and Hotaru that it would be like a bamboo in the snow, they challenged their fates by being together so as to break Mikan and Ruka apart. They would do everything to make the two jealous and crave for what they were missing because of their mutual affection.

In a nutshell, their relationship was built on a foundation of pretence. Once they got what they needed, their relationship would be the first to shatter.

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><p>Hotaru dressed up herself, checked her style in front of the mirror, added the final touches, and got her fancy purple bag from the couch only to be questioned by her fake partner.<p>

" Where are you going? I notice you've been going out lately," Natsume, holding a cup of coffee in his hand, inquired.

" None of your business, Hyuuga," Hotaru retaliated while looking directly into his crimson eyes.

It was always in this awkward moment, this eye to eye encounter, that the feelings from their inner depths came to surface, without them knowing about it.

" Fake it is, but we are together, Imai," he answered with the same level of sternness.

She never knew why but every time she heard Natsume saying it was all fake, she couldn't find a way to escape from the thread of pain it always brought. She couldn't stop blaming herself for going into something like this, a vortex of lies.

" And does that include your questioning every time I leave? "

" My concern is not you. I'm after your actions. You could be doing something for your own sake only. You could be snatching Ruka away without your partner in action, without me doing the same thing to Mikan. You know, that's unfair, Imai. So unfair," Natsume laid the cup of coffee on the table, put his hands in his pockets, and approached Hotaru.

Unexpectedly, Hotaru placed her hands on both cheeks of Natsume. Natsume felt his heart skip a beat. They had never been this close. For a split of a second, he feared something he never thought he would be feared of.

_Their breaking apart._

" Damn it, Natsume. You know I'd never leave you hanging. If I were to succeed, you, too. Likewise, if I were to fall…" she intentionally left it hanging for she could no longer continue it.

She immediately exited out of the scene leaving Natsume grasping for words.

The words rang in her head, and it was of no success pushing the thought away, because it was the whole truth.

_If I were to fall, I would never drag you with me._

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><p>The argument they had was not a waste of time at all. What Natsume was pointing out was partially true. She really was doing something, not only for her sake, but also for his sake.<p>

She went inside a coffee shop and scanned the area for someone she was supposed to meet up with. She found him.

Ruka stood up from his seat and kissed Hotaru on her cheek.

The kiss was supposed to heat up the coldness inside her, but she didn't even feel its warmth. It was not Ruka's fault, it was hers.

She and Ruka had been dating for two months already unbeknownst to Natsume and Mikan. Yes, Hotaru, after executing her plan of snatching Ruka away for six months ever since she and Natsume started their sham relationship, she had finally succeeded. Ruka fell into her arms.

" I missed you, Hotaru. Did you miss me, too?" Ruka asked with so much anticipation.

" We've just seen each other yesterday, and you already missed me. You're really funny, Nogi," Hotaru looked away.

If she were the Hotaru from two months ago when they started dating, she would've been the first to say that she missed him already. But being the present Hotaru, she had gone dry. And it was only two nights ago when she mulled things over that she came to know why she had been acting strange.

Ruka reached out for her hand, and he felt it. It was cold. It never even warmed up to his touch. Though, Hotaru responded by holding his, too, he couldn't help frowning. He knew it. Something was off.

" I'm sorry, Ruka. Maybe I'm just tired. Anyway, let's get back to business," she disentangled her hand from Ruka's hold.

" We only have two days left before the 27th. How's Mikan? Has she gone cold, too? You know, we need her to be," Hotaru added. She was really fretting about the surprise they were planning for Natsume's birthday. Mikan had to be their gift to him.

" Yeah, I think so. But that's only because I've gone cold, too. We had a fight yesterday. She was actually suspecting me of going out with someone else. And I said, the feelings weren't the same anymore. She broke down," Ruka sighed.

" Don't you really feel the same way about her anymore ?" Hotaru asked. Hell, she was expecting for him to answer, _I do,_ but she couldn't. It was forbidden for her to even think about it.

" Of course, I don't. It's you that I love, Hotaru. It was wrong for me to be blind before," Ruka reached out for her hand again but Hotaru moved it away.

" Okay, okay, Nogi. Don't get so cheesy. Now, what is she saying about Natsume? Has she taken interest in him?"

It pained Ruka to hear Hotaru calling Natsume by his name. Hotaru was calling him only by his surname. But he realized, Hotaru wouldn't want to linger on this topic. He knew how fired up Hotaru was for Natsume's birthday. And the reason behind that, no, he wasn't ready to know.

" Well, yesterday, I told her as a way of comforting that she must have been blind when she loved me, that she deserves someone better like Natsume, that Natsume would never make her cry, that he would always love her no matter what. And luckily, she answered, _maybe, _and she walked out. That's a big improvement, don't you think?"

" Yes, it is. But we need a hundred percent certainty that she is really falling out of love with you while falling in love with Natsume," she was again tensed.

" Natsume has been seeing her once in a while, so that should do it. Don't think about it so much, okay, Hotaru?" Ruka was also tensed seeing Hotaru in a state of panic. As much as he wanted them to just talk about their future, he couldn't, mainly because of Hotaru's reason: they needed to surprise Natsume. Damn, it was all about Natsume.

Did Hotaru ever think about him?

" No way, Ruka. There's no way I won't think about it. This has to be a success for all you know," she was beginning to raise her voice.

" And why, Hotaru? Why is it that every time we meet up and talk, it's always about him? Hotaru, it's you and I together, not he and you!" Ruka hit back at her. He didn't want to, but he sure demanded an answer from her.

" I'm sorry, Ruka. I think, I just need a reason to walk away from him. I need a closure. Excuse me," she rose from her seat and walked away quickly.

She needed to end everything before it all got complicated. She needed to choose between Ruka and Natsume. She needed to choose between right and wrong.

When she arrived at _their _apartment, she found it dark. She forgot that Natsume wouldn't be home until 9 p.m because he had a business meeting. But she was willing to wait. It was always like this, right? She was waiting for six months. She was waiting for the lies to be true, for the feelings to be mutual, for Natsume to have his eyes on her.

But waiting was all she could ever do, and now she had to stop it and move on.

Suddenly the lights flickered revealing Natsume standing near the table. Hotaru saw that the table was arranged for a candlelight dinner, and she almost forgot what she came there for.

" Surprised, Imai? I know I got you exhausted a while ago because of that argument, but let me make it up to you," Natsume smirked.

" Even though it's a fake dinner? You never cease to amaze me, Natsume, with all your fake actions and fake antics," she gave out a fake laugh, too.

" And the point is?" Natsume felt what was coming.

She ceased laughing and again looked directly into his eyes.

" I'm over it. The deal's done, Natsume. I already have Ruka, and in a few days, you can have Mikan, too. I never thought it would be this tiring," Hotaru looked down, and she could feel herself breaking but she couldn't be. She was a frigid ice, and she had to stay like that…even for that moment only.

" Well, Congratulations, Imai. And yes, I can feel Mikan falling into me and I'm sure to catch her. But I don't understand why you're tired. It was a thrilling ride, wasn't it?" he began to come near Hotaru without having a reason.

When he stopped in front of her, she looked up to meet his eyes.

" I'm tired because I've softened up, Hyuuga. And now I'm falling victim to the trap we made. You won, I lost. Now, if you still don't get it, forget about your being genius," she turned around and started walking away when Natsume's words halted her.

" I got it, Imai. Since you've softened up, you now belong to Ruka who's not a frigid ice like me, right? But you know, Imai, I've softened up, too, so I initially thought that I had to be with Mikan, but now..." he chuckled lightly.

" We could actually be together…or maybe not," he continued.

Hotaru looked back at him and smiled.

" Yes, because it's a love that would never be, you and me,"

" Yeah, we really are geniuses. Anyway, I'll keep those memories," he smiled for her for the last time. And it wasn't fake.

" Thank you, Hyuuga," she continued walking away.

Just like that the two chunks of frigid ice melted down, and they would never get back to the state they were in before for they were simply no longer together.

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><p>I borrowed a line from SafetySuit's <em>Anywhere But Here. <em>I know, it's out of fashion but who cares,I had to write it. And I seriously think I deserve whatever kind of review you have there. So give it. :)

* xoX-yume-no-k0k0r0-Xox, thank you for the review!


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